You may be eligible for 0% interest financing to replace your fossil fuel air space heating system with an electric heat pump. Our program enables Central Saanich homeowners to fund up to $12,000 of the cost of getting off fossil fuel heating through an interest-free loan repaid on property tax bills over 10 years.
Search (and combine!) rebates. Try the Rebate Search Tools below to check out the variety of available rebates, including:
Fossil fuel home heating: switch from a fossil fuel heat source (i.e., oil, propane, or natural gas) to an electric heat pump to receive some significant rebates (up to $21,250!)
Wood home heating: rebates are available ($1,000-$2,000) to switch from wood as your primary fuel for heating to electric heat pumps
Water heating
Building envelope (insulation, windows and doors)
Bonus offers for those who complete multiple upgrades
Canada Greener Homes (federal) - Please note: the grant program is closed, but the loan program remains open (interest-free up to $40,000).
CleanBC Better Homes is funded by the Province of British Columbia and the Government of Canada under the Low Carbon Economy Leadership Fund. CleanBC Better Homes rebates are administered by BC Hydro, FortisBC and BC Housing.
Solar panel rebate: maximum $5,000 (grid-connected)
Battery storage rebate: maximum $5,000
Free Home Energy Navigator Program - CRD
Free support service is available to help homeowners through their home (energy) retrofit journey. An Energy Concierge will be available to support you through your retrofit project to answer questions, give local and expert advice and help you navigate the complex world of home energy retrofits. For more information visit Home Energy Navigator, email info@homeenergynav.ca or call 1-866-381-9995.
Assessing your home
You may want to first contact an Energy Concierge, to help you virtually assess your home (for free), or you may be interested in hiring a professional energy advisor to undertake a detailed energy assessment (EnerGuide Assessment) for your home. The energy assessment will rate the efficiency of your home and provide recommendations for retrofits based on their effectiveness for improving your home energy efficiency, reducing your home greenhouse gas footprint and enhancing your home comfort. Use the Energy Advisor Search Tool to locate a local energy advisor or service organization that provides services in your community.
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Draft-proof your home. Drafts can waste 5%-30% of a home’s energy. Try testing doors, windows and chimneys with incense. Where the smoke wavers, a draft is blowing in. To seal leaks, make or buy a “door snake” and caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows. You can also add small insulating covers underneath the wall plates of the electric outlets on outside walls, or adjacent to cold basements and crawl spaces.
Insulate your windows. Hang heavy curtains to keep the cold out and the cozy in, or keep the cool in and the warm out. An even cheaper solution is to apply insulation film, available at most hardware stores.
Reverse your ceiling fans. When fans turn clockwise, they push down the warm air that pools near the ceiling and circulates it through the room. Magic!
Replace furnace filters. Dirty filters restrict airflow, decrease air quality, and increase a furnace's energy demand. Replace your furnace filters at least every three months during the heating season or ask your landlord to. Better indoor air quality is a nice side benefit of this energy-saving tip. Also, consider switching to a washable filter, which will reduce waste and is more effective.
Heat or cool the people not the space. Keeping people warm (or cool) is much more efficient than heating a whole space. In the summer, give your oven a break and check out 5 other ways to keep cool. In the winter, put on a sweater and slippers. Use an electric heat blanket or hot water bottle. Drink hot drinks. Get cozy.
Mind your thermostat or ease off your air conditioning. For every degree you turn down the thermostat in the winter, you can save between 1.5-5% of your heating or cooling bill. Mind the thermostat when you’re not home or are sleeping. A programmable thermostat will help you get efficient and consistent.
Consider getting a heat pump. It will help regulate your home temperature year round and now is the time to check out BetterHomesBC.ca for a list of rebates available, provincially and even regionally (CRD). Did you know, Central Saanich has a rebate for residents switching from a fossil fuel heat source (oil, propane, or natural gas) to an electric heat pump; for a total of up to $3,700 in rebates.
Find more information about energy efficiency for existing buildings here:
What is an energy efficient home? Check out National Resources Canada to find out about EnerGuide home evaluations, home labeling and how to make your home more energy efficient.
CRD has partnered with your local library to provide a Climate Action to go kit, complete with tools to measure appliance electricity use, discover air leaks, measure lighting, tune up your bike and much more. The kits are available to borrow at local libraries.
Typical maintenance projects can be completed without a permit. Some examples are:
replacing existing roofing material;
upgrading existing windows (same size);
repairing or replacing existing plumbing fixtures;
painting, flooring or new cabinetry; or
constructing a shed smaller than 10 sq. metres complying with the zoning.
Some larger renovations will require a permit. Below are some examples:
building new or removing loadbearing or non-loadbearing walls;
completing unfinished space; or,
replacing entire exterior building envelope (cladding and windows);.
Solar technology has evolved so that it is now possible for consumers to create surplus energy they can sell back to the local utility company. Homeowners can install a solar-electric (photovoltaic) system that converts sunlight into electricity, effectively slowing down the utility meter and reducing utility costs. Larger collection units can turn back the meter enough that, during the day, excess power can be sold back to the utility. This is called net metering.
Currently, solar panel purchased are except from PST in BC, and the federal tax provision for clean energy was extended until 2025 (businesses, including farms, are allowed to depreciate the cost of their solar power system at an accelerated capital cost allowance rate of 50% on a declining balance basis.)
